THE  PARIS  UNIVERSAL  EXHIBITION  OF  1867. 


REMARKS 


MR.  ELLIOT  C.  COWDIN, 


CHAMBER  OF  COMMERCE 


OF     NEW     YORK, 


FRIDAY,  JANUARY  12,  1866. 


NEW   YORK: 
BAKER    &   GODWIN,    PRINTERS, 

SQUARE. 

1866. 


UCSB    LIBRARY 


OF    1807. 


A  special  meeting  of  the  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce of  New  York  was  held  on  Friday,  January 
12,  1866,  to  hear  the  Report  of  the  Committee,  con- 
sisting of  Mr.  Samuel  B.  Ruggles,  Mr.  Denning 
Duer,  Mr.  George  Opdyke,  Mr.  J.  S.  T.  Stanahan, 
and  Mr.  Elliot  C.  Cowdin,  in  relation  to  the  Uni- 
versal Exhibition  of  Industry  to  be  held  in  Paris  in 
1867;  President  A.  A.  Low  in  the  chair.  The  Hon. 
Samuel  B.  Ruggles,  in  behalf  of  the  Committee, 
reported  the  following  Resolutions  for  adoption  : 

Resolved,  That  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  New  York 
have  learned,  with  profound  satisfaction,  that  the  Government  of 
the  United  States  has  accepted  the  invitation  of  the  Government 
of  France,  to  unite  with  the  other  governments  of  the  world  in 
the  "  Universal  Exposition  ''  at  Paris,  in  April,  18(>7,  of  the 
products  of  each  ;  and  will  confidently  rely  on  the  intelligence 
and  liberality  of  Congress  to  make  timely  and  adequate  appro- 
priations for  exhibiting  the  products  of  the  American  Union  on 
the  proposed  occasion,  in  such  a  manner  and  on  such  a  scale  as 
shall  maintain  its  just  rank  among  the  civilized  nations  of  the 
earth. 


Resolved,  That  in  view  of  the  well-considered  action  of  the 
French  Government  calling  upon  all  its  departmental  authorities, 
including  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  Boards  of  Trade  and 
Academies  of  Art,  to  co-operate,  within  the  proper  limits  of 
their  authority,  in  the  enlightened  design  of  fully  displaying  the 
products  of  France,  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  this,  the 
principal  national  city  of  the  United  States,  feel  called  upon  to 
exert  whatever  influence  they  may  possess  with  their  fellow-citi- 
zens throughout  the  Union  to  induce  them  promptly  to  furnish 
to  the  proposed  "  Exposition,"  in  the  most  liberal  manner,  such 
specimens  of  their  products  of  industry  or  art  as  may  elevate 
our  national  character;  and  to  secure  more  effectually  this  object, 
they  do  now  invite  appropriate  action  on  the  part  of  the  other 
Chambers  of  Commerce  and  Boards  of  Trade  of  our  country. 

Resolved,  That  it  be  referred  to  a  committee  of  five  members 
of  this  Chamber,  to  invite  the  attention  of  the  Chambers  of 
Commerce  and  Boards  of  Trade  in  the  different  cities  of  the 
United  States,  to  the  peculiar  national  importance,  both  political 
and  financial,  of  the  proposed  Exposition,  in  exhibiting  to  the 
Governments  and  the  peoples  of  Europe,  the  natural  and  indus- 
trial resources  of  the  American  Union,  now  happily  restored  in 
its  full  constitutional  authority. 

Mr.  Ruggles  supported  the  Resolutions  with 
eloquent  and  appropriate  remarks,  after  which  Mr. 
Cowdin  addressed  the  Chamber  on  the  subject  as 
follows : 


REMARKS  OF  MR.  ELLIOT  C.  COWDIN. 

MR.  PRESIDENT — It  is  fitting,  indeed,  that  this 
Chamber,  as  a  representative  organization  of  the 
commercial  metropolis  of  our  country,  should  lend 
its  aid  to  this  great  enterprise. 

It  has  been  my  privilege  to  visit  most  of  the 
Exhibitions  of  Europe  for  the  last  fifteen  years,  and 
to  examine  many  of  them  with  some  care,  especially 
that  of  Paris  in  1855,  and  of  London  in  J862,  and 
candor  compels  me  to  say  that  the  contributions 
from  the  United  States  were  altogether  inadequate 
to  do  justice  to  the  skill  and  industry  of  our  peo- 
ple; — while  a  few  articles  won  a  world-wide  reputa- 
tion, the  absence  of  others,  well  known  to  excel, 
made  our  display  far  from  satisfactory. 

Now,  sir,  may  we  not  profit  by  experience  ? 
Let  us  appear  as  we  are,  or  not  at  all.  Shall  we 
fail  to  appear  to  advantage  ? 

Tell  me,  if  you  can,  what  nation  is  able  to  com- 
pete with  the  United  States  in  the  variety  and 
value  of  the  Earth's  products ;  its  corn,  its  cotton, 
its  wheat,  its  rice,  its  copper,  its  coal,  its  silver,  its 
gold,  its  oil,  its  iron  ? 

What  nation  can  compete  with  us  in  implements 
of  war — rifles,  revolvers,  and  cannon  ?  In  printing 


presses,  stoves,  and  wagons?  In  labor-saving  ma- 
chines, and  in  startling  inventions  of  every  kind  ? 

The  late  war  has  made  us  known  to  the  world, 
and  to  each  other ;  it  has  vindicated  the  character 
of  our  institutions  and  insured  their  permanency. 

We  are  the  larger  branch  of  the  great  trading 
and  fiorhtiiijT  race,  and  it  now  remains  for  us  to  show 

O  O  / 

that  we  are  even  greater  in  peace  than  in  war. 

A  continent  is  ours — midway  between  Europe 
and  Asia — a  position  to  serve  and  control  both. 
Crowned  with  the  victories  of  war,  and,  holding 
such  a  position,  shall  we  fear  any  conflict  ? 

Imperial  and  war-like  France,  at  last  casting 
down  her  armor,  sends  to  the  great  Republic  the  chal- 
lenge of  peace.  Fixed  in  our  principles  and  ready 
to  defend  them;  loyal  to  our  nationality,  and  men- 
acing none,  we  welcome  it  as  an  omen  of  good  to  the 
whole  family  of  man. 

France  having  increased  her  exports  more  than 
fifty  per  cent,  since  her  last  exhibition,  which  in- 
crease is  in  a  measure  due  to  it,  is  now  expending 
more  than  twenty  millions  of  francs  for  another  In- 
ternational Exhibition  of  Industry  in  1867,  and  has 
invited  the  United  States,  in  common  with  other 
nations,  to  compete  with  her.  Our  Government  has 
accepted  the  invitation,  and  asks  the  people  to  co- 
operate. To  that  end,  it  is  eminently  proper  to  in- 


troduce  the  subject  into  the  Chamber  of  Commerce 
of  New  York. 

The  benefits  to  be  derived  by  the  people  of  the 
United  States  from  a  full  exposition  of  their  indus- 
trial wealth  are  manifold. 

It  will  serve  to  advertise  the  fruits  of  our  genius 
and  our  soil,  our  inventions  and  our  products,  our 
mineral  resources  and  their  availability. 

It  will  bring  them  under  the  eyes  of  the  best 
instructed  men  in  the  world,  who  will  discover 
values  in  them  which  we  never  knew ;  as  the  great 
Huraboldt,  treading  upon  the  hitherto  worthless 
soil  of  a  friend,  said,  "  diamonds  should  be  here," 
and  there  diamonds  were  found. 

It  will  enlighten  those  hitherto  unacquainted 
with  our  resources,  and  let  loose  for  investment 
much  of  the  unemployed  capital  of  Europe,  to  the 
profit  of  the  people  of  both  hemispheres. 

It  will  not  only  bring  to  us  the  large  capitalists 
of  Europe,  but  also  those  of  smaller  means,  seeking 
a  secure  investment  of  their  earnings;  but,  what  is 
better  still,  it  will  induce  the  skilled  artisans  and 
the  hardy  laborers  to  seek  a  land  so  rich  in  advan- 
tages to  them. 

O 

It  will  not  only  show  those  abroad,  who  stood 
by  our  cause  and  had  faith  in  us  in  the  darkest 
hour,  but  also  those  who  had  no  faith,  that  we  can 


LIBRARY 


8. 


and  will  pay  our  national  debt ;  not  the  interest 
alone,  but  the  principal,  far  too  soon  for  their  inter- 
est. 

To  secure  these  results,  it  is  only  necessary  that 
the  Government  of  the  United  States  should  lead, 
and  that  Congress  make  an  appropriation  befitting 
the  importance  of  the  enterprise  and  worthy  of  the 
nation.  Let  us,  then,  urge  upon  our  Senators  and 
Representatives  to  act  promptly  and  largely. 

Let  us  also  urge  upon  the  Chambers  of  Com- 
merce and  Boards  of  Trade,  in  the  various  sections 
of  the  Union,  and  especially  those  of  the  West, 
whose  agricultural  and  mineral  resources  should 
form  so  prominent  and  striking  a  feature  in  the 
Exhibition,  an  earnest  co-operation. 

And  above  all,  let  us  call  upon  the  whole  peo* 
pie,  whose  voluntary  subscriptions  outweigh  the 
patronage  of  any  monarch,  to  take  part  in  this  great 
international  display,  in  which  we  have  everything 
to  gain  and  nothing  to  lose. 

The  Resolutions  were  unanimously  adopted,  and  the  Com- 
mittee authorized  to  forward  them  to  Congress,  and  also  to  the 
various  Chambers  of  Commerce  and  Boards  of  Trade  throughout 
the  country. 


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